Akpabio, Wike urge Nigerians to be patient over hardships

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenogoa

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Chief Nyesom Wike, have called for patience insisting that the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are the only way to build a stronger prosperous economy.

The Senate President and the immediate past Rivers State Governor spoke at the weekend during a Thanksgiving Service organised at Koroma Tai LGA by Senator Barry Mpigi representing Rivers Southeast Senatorial District to appreciate God for his electoral victory.

Akpabio, many senators, members of the House of Representatives, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, former ministers, a delegation from Akwa Ibom led by Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, some Rivers State Cabinet members, members of Rivers House of Assembly, local government chairmen, leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were among dignitaries at the event.

Wike said though people complained that the decisions of President Tinubu were hard, they remained the only way to take the country to its destination.

He argued that decisions to turn around and address years of rot were not miracles expected to materialise within six months.

Wike insisted that President Tinubu required the support of all stakeholders in his efforts to address the inherited crisis in the country.

He said: “I believe that God in his infinite mercy will give us the strength to work and continue to support Mr. President. The decision of Mr. President is hard but if we are patient at the end of the day we will get to where we want to go.

“You want him to bring a policy to change something that had spoilt many years ago within six months. Even if it is a miracle, it is difficult. What is required is to give him support.

“I seriously believe in the Renewed Hope Agenda. We urge you to believe in the Renewed Hope agenda. We are going to do everything to continue to support Mr. President”.

The minister said most people in the country were always quick to forget past incidents and recalled that governors and others, who won their re-election at the Supreme Court recently heaped praises on Tinubu for not interfering in their cases.

He wondered why immediately after their praises, they turned around to blame Mr. President for hardship.

He said: “I watched after the court verdicts of the election, everybody that came out would say I thank Mr President for not interfering. But immediately that expired people are saying a different thing.

“I watched every governor after they thanked God the next person was Mr. President. But just after two weeks, everything evaporated. Now it is Mr ‘President we are dying’.

He appealed to the people not to lose hope adding that the administration of the FCT through the support of President Tinubu was a sign of better days ahead.

He said: “But don’t lose hope. Look at what we are doing in Abuja today, it means that Mr  President will do better. It is a sign of good things to come. People are saying Wike is doing well but it is because the President is in support of it. The President is committed to seeing that Nigerians have positive impacts in their lives”.

Wike said about 85 per cent of persons, who secured the victories at the past elections were still intact in his team saying with such a force, he could no longer wait for the next general election in 2027.

He said nobody in his team in Rivers was afraid of intimidation noting that Rivers was uniquely united across party lines.

He commended the Senate President for giving an important position of Senate Committee Chairmanship on Works to Senator Mpigi without considering that he belongs to a minority party.

Wike further praised Akpabio for uniting the National Assembly after the election saying for the first time the two chambers were in a robust relationship with the President.

He said: “The most important thing is that all of us who made it happen in 2023 about 85 per cent are still with us. All the council chairmen are here. Nobody is afraid of intimidation and nobody will be intimidated.

“It is good to appreciate. I know what Barry has passed through politically. I thank God he has come to appreciate God. I thank the Senate President and the Senate for considering us worthy to head one of the most important committees, the Committee Chairman on Works.

“It has never happened for a minority party to be given such a position. You can go to sleep with your two eyes closed because Barry will not disappoint you. We have always worked together.

“With the forces we have I don’t know of anybody who will challenge us. It is like tomorrow is 2027. For me is very far. I cannot wait. The two leaders of the PDP and APC are here.

“Which state can boast of this kind of unity? It is only in Rivers that you can find this unity. People don’t like it. So they do everything possible to make sure we are divided. But since we know, we have refused to be divided. This is the only state where the ruling party will win for Presidency, the opposition will take the National Assembly in an election that happened at the same time and the same day.

“This is what we call uncommon. This is the first time I see no clear cut of party and that is how it is supposed to be. Party is a vehicle that conveys you to your destination. When you get to where you are going you come down and talk about governance.

“Insecurity doesn’t know which party you belong to. Hardship doesn’t know the party you belong to. So, all of us must put our heads together, think together and proffer solutions. And that is what is happening at the leadership of the National Assembly.

“I love what you are doing. You know me very well if you are not doing well I will tell you that you are not doing well. This is the first time you see a robust relationship between the National Assembly and the President”.

Akpabio, who called for a minute of silence for the tragic death of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son and others, said.

Observed a minute silence for the late Herbert Wigwe. A high-powered delegation led by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State. In Rivers, APC and PDP are all joined together. Many former ministers and senators’ wives.

Akpabio in an analogy compared the poor economic condition President Tinubu inherited to a pail filled with foams while underneath it is a small quantity of water.

He said: “God has been able to merge us politically. What we need now is economic rejuvenation and I believe strongly that through President Ahmed Tinubu God will answer our prayer.

“Nigeria was like a foam inside a pail. As the foam has filled the pail you think that it was water. The economic situation was tricky. By the time you push your hands, you will only touch water towards the bottom. So the kind of economic mess we were in a lot of people do not understand.

“Like Obama would say you cannot know Washington until you get to Washington. So by the time we went in, the economic situation was terrible. We don’t even know what to charge the former Central Bank governor with whether to charge him for putting foam on top of the pail or to charge him for printing notes without income. I don’t know what we will charge him with.

What we know is that we are here today because of the actions and policies that they took and we recognise that but we are now battling to ensure that Nigerians can sleep with their eyes closed and have three square meals on their tables”.

He insisted that Tinubu’s policies were designed to gradually give the country the desired economic footprints adding that such a feat would not happen overnight

He said: “But be rest assured that we campaigned for this job and we will not let you down. All we need is patience. The rot that has happened in Nigeria for many years cannot be solved within months”.

Akpabio appealed to Wike to take a journey in Ogoni land and find a governor for Rivers that would match his achievements in the state.

He said: “Wike after you, we will probably take a tour of Ogoniland to find someone that will match your achievements. The governor that will probably match your achievements will probably come from Ogoni”.

He said: “Barry Mpigi is thanking God for the chairmanship of Senate Committee and also thanking God for the future of Ogoniland. One of the hallmarks of leadership is loyalty. You cannot be a good leader unless you are a good follower. Wike followed all past leaders in Rivers”.

Addressing Wike, he said: “I know you followed Dr. Odili very well. There was a time my former good friend was in Ghana, and you were running around here with lawyers. You were the first uncommon to have the pronouncement of the Supreme Court making someone a governor without the person going for an election.

“On getting there he turned around and said ‘Why will this man be this powerful’,  he had to fight you. We were not surprised when in 2023 you said agreement is agreement.. If you don’t want to adhere to an agreement on election day come and win in Rivers. I want to thank you for your support for Asiwaju.

“It is your support that enabled the South-South today to produce the first Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. It is in the same election you produced the President from the APC and the same election you produced PDP National Assembly members and House of Reps. I still don’t understand it. “I can imagine why you want 2027 to be like tomorrow. Barry Mpigi we know you because you have a boss you must fall back on. You will continue to bring glory to Rivers”.